People are always striving to do better. Be kinder, be healthier and throw away less waste. Not everyone has the know how or garden space to sow seeds and learn how to properly cultivate a garden. Luckily, fresh home-grown produce is easier than ever to have, and all it takes is a few scraps from the kitchen bin.

‘Garbage gardening’

Sometimes known as ‘garbage gardening’, growing your own frit and vegetables from scraps couldn’t be further from it. Not only does it teach valuable lessons about sustainability, but helps to cut down on food waste and even save money. Buying sustainably grown, non-GMO, organic produce can be costly and even regular produce costs a significant portion of the shopping bill. By taking the parts normally considered as waste and turning it into something new, it helps to shift the perspective of ‘waste’ and nurture our understanding of the cycle of growing. There’s also a great sense of pride and accomplishment when harvesting your own food!

What can be grown from scraps?

Here are some common fruits, vegetables and herbs that you can easily regrow from scraps:

• Carrots
• Potatoes and other root crops
• Sweet Potatoes
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Celery
• Onions, Garlic, Leeks and Shallots
• Lettuce
• Cabbages
• Basil, Mint, Cilantro

The simplest growing method

This is the simplest and easiest method for growing your own produce from scraps. However, not all fruits and vegetables can use this method.

• Cut off the top of the root, make sure you leave 3-5cm of the edible part remaining.
• Submerge the root in water, using toothpicks to hold it in place in the glass.
• Place in a sunny location and replace the water every other day.
• Once the roots have been established, place into a pot with soil to continue growing.

Some produce, like Strawberries and Tomatoes, require their seeds to first be picked before being planted.

Other ways to use your scraps:

• Fresh vegetable stock
• Add to the compost heap
• Natural dyes

With this super simple method and a bit of time and patience you will soon have your very own fruit and vegetable harvest, and can continue this new cycle of growing and sustainability.